--- title: "GCSE Maths Grades 1 to 9 Explained: What 4 and 5 Mean" description: "GCSE maths grades 9 to 1 explained: how they compare with A* to G, what grade 4 and grade 5 mean for sixth form and resits, and how grade boundaries are set." canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/gcse-maths-grades-explained source: src/pages/gcse-maths-grades-explained.html --- > GCSE maths grades 9 to 1 explained: how they compare with A* to G, what grade 4 and grade 5 mean for sixth form and resits, and how grade boundaries are set. Courses for every target grade ## Pick the course for the grade you are aiming at. The tutor starts from the grade your child is working at now, measured on full papers, and plans towards the next one. No guessing from a single topic test. [![GCSE Maths: Foundation and Higher (9-1) course thumbnail](/images/gcse-maths.webp)Start here GCSE Maths: Foundation and Higher (9-1) The full GCSE on Foundation or Higher tier for AQA, Edexcel and OCR, planned from a real paper towards the next grade. Years 9 to 11 and resits8 live classes a month **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/gcse-mathematics-mastery)[![Algebra Foundations course thumbnail](/images/algebra-foundations.webp) Algebra Foundations For students stuck around grades 3 and 4 because algebra keeps leaking marks: equations, expressions and graphs rebuilt. Gap repairLive, small group or one-to-one **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/algebra-foundations-masterclass)[![A Level Maths: Pure, Mechanics, Statistics course thumbnail](/images/a-level-maths.webp) A Level Maths: Pure, Mechanics, Statistics For students aiming at 7 to 9 with A level maths in mind. A level maths is built on the whole GCSE content. Years 12 and 138 live classes a month **$100**/mo group · **$150**/mo one-to-one View course and enrol](/courses/a-level-maths-course-pure-mechanics-statistics)Which course fits ## Find the grade your child is working at, then follow the row. | Working at now | What we would suggest | Start with | | --- | --- | --- | | Grades 1 to 3 | Foundation tier, with number, ratio and algebra gaps fixed first, because those areas hold most Foundation marks | [GCSE Maths](/courses/gcse-mathematics-mastery), plus [Algebra Foundations](/courses/algebra-foundations-masterclass) | | Grade 4 secure, grade 5 in reach | Exam technique and the topics that carry grade 5 marks; a look at Higher papers if a 6 is realistic | [GCSE Maths](/courses/gcse-mathematics-mastery) | | Grades 6 to 9 | Higher tier, with the Higher-only content taught early and multi-step problems practised every week | [GCSE Maths](/courses/gcse-mathematics-mastery), then [A Level Maths](/courses/a-level-maths-course-pure-mechanics-statistics) | | Post-16 or adult without grade 4 | A resit plan from a full diagnostic paper | [GCSE Maths Resit](/courses/gcse-maths-resit-course), with our [resit guide](/gcse-maths-resit-explained) | [Book a Priority Demo](/priority-demo)[Or join the free demo list](/book-demo?subject=maths)The scale ## How 9 to 1 compares with the old A* to G. GCSEs in England have been graded on a 9 to 1 scale since 2017, replacing the old A* to G letters. Grade 9 is the highest, grade 1 the lowest, and U means ungraded. Ofqual is clear that the number scale is not a straight swap for the letters. The two scales only line up at three anchor points: the bottom of grade 7 matches the bottom of an old A, the bottom of grade 4 matches the bottom of an old C, and the bottom of grade 1 matches the bottom of an old G. So an employer or college that used to ask for a C now normally asks for a 4. ### The three anchor points | New grade | Compares with | | --- | --- | | Bottom of grade 7 | Bottom of the old A | | Bottom of grade 4 | Bottom of the old C | | Bottom of grade 1 | Bottom of the old G | From Ofqual's "GCSE 9 to 1 grade scale explained". Wales and Northern Ireland use different GCSE grading scales. Grades 4 and 5 ## Why grade 4 in maths matters more than any other line. ### Grade 4: the standard pass The Department for Education recognises grade 4 and above as a "standard pass" in all subjects. In maths and English it is also a threshold: a student without a grade 4 in maths by 16 keeps studying maths as part of their post-16 education. Full-time students with a grade 3 must work towards the GCSE again. Students with a grade 2 or below can study towards Functional Skills Level 2 or the GCSE. Our [resit guide](/gcse-maths-resit-explained) sets out the rules. ### Grade 5: the top of Foundation Grade 5 is the highest grade available on Foundation tier and one of the two grades, with 4, that can be earned on either tier. Colleges, sixth forms and employers set the grades they require, so check the exact maths requirement with the place your child is applying to. For a student whose honest target is a 5, Foundation often lets every mark count towards it. Our [Foundation vs Higher guide](/gcse-maths-foundation-vs-higher) explains the trade-off. | Grade band | Which tier | What it usually means in practice | | --- | --- | --- | | 7, 8, 9 | Higher only | Reachable only on Higher papers, which include the Higher-only content such as the quadratic formula and the sine and cosine rules | | 6 | Higher only | Above the Foundation ceiling, so it can only be reached on Higher papers | | 4 and 5 | Either tier | Grade 4 is the standard pass and the post-16 maths threshold | | 3 | Foundation, or an allowed grade 3 on Higher | Below the threshold; full-time post-16 students resit the GCSE | | 1 and 2 | Foundation | Post-16 study can be GCSE or Functional Skills Level 2 | Grade boundaries ## Boundaries move every year, and that is the point. A grade boundary is the lowest total mark that earns a grade. Exam boards set them after the exams are sat, when marking is nearly complete, because nobody can know in advance how hard students will find a new paper. Ofqual describes the process in two steps. First, data about this year's students is compared with previous years to find likely boundaries. Then senior examiners read real scripts on and around those marks and compare them with scripts at the same grades the year before. If a paper turned out easier, the boundaries go up; if harder, they come down. Ofqual is also clear that "there are no quotas" for how many students pass, and no cap on how many get each grade. ### Marking Scripts are split by question and marked anonymously to a mark scheme. ### Data Results are compared with previous cohorts to find likely boundaries. ### Examiner review Senior examiners read scripts at those marks against last year's work. ### Grades issued Final boundaries are applied to every student's total mark. In GCSE maths there is an extra check. Every February and March, students at more than 300 schools in England sit the National Reference Test, which helps Ofqual see whether maths performance nationally is really rising or falling. Use the numbers well ## How to read a mock result without fooling yourself. One student, three papers **Maya sits three 80-mark papers and scores 41, 52 and 47. What is her total and percentage?** Total = 41 + 52 + 47 = 140 out of 240140 ÷ 240 = 0.583... ≈ 58% The grade comes from the total across all three papers, so her weakest paper still pulls her up or down. Compare that total with the boundaries for the same series and board, not with a percentage from another exam. Where the marks went **Her 100 lost marks, sorted by a tutor:** Gaps in knowledge: 46Method slips: 31Ran out of time: 23 An illustration of the sorting we do, not a real student. Slips and timing are usually the fastest marks to win back, so they shape the first weeks of the plan. [Get a mock sorted in a Priority Demo](/priority-demo)How we help ## A grade measured on real papers, then a plan to move it. In the first lesson the tutor watches your child work through full questions at their tier and sorts every lost mark into a gap, a method slip or timing. You leave with the grade they are working at and the next one within reach. Lessons then follow the plan: the topics that carry the next grade's marks, timed papers in your board's format, and mark schemes read together so method marks are not wasted. Every lesson is live, with the same tutor, after school or at weekends in UK time. We never promise a grade or a score. Results depend on the starting point, the time available and the practice done between lessons, and we say so at the start. "My son struggled with math for years. Integrating it into coding projects has transformed his understanding and confidence. Highly recommended!" Shewta Singh, mother of Ishan · verified Google review Common questions ## GCSE maths grades: what parents and students ask. What is the highest grade in GCSE maths? Grade 9. The scale runs from 9 at the top to 1, with U for ungraded. Is grade 4 a pass in GCSE maths? The Department for Education recognises grade 4 and above as a standard pass in all subjects. In maths it is also the line below which students keep studying maths after 16. What is a grade 4 in old money? Ofqual says the bottom of grade 4 is comparable to the bottom of the old grade C, so a grade C requirement is normally replaced by a grade 4. What does grade 7 compare with? The bottom of grade 7 is comparable to the bottom of the old grade A. What happens if my child gets a grade 3 in maths? Students on a full-time post-16 study programme with a grade 3 must keep studying towards the maths GCSE. Students with grade 2 or below can study towards Functional Skills Level 2 or the GCSE. See our [GCSE maths resit guide](/gcse-maths-resit-explained). How are GCSE maths grade boundaries set? After the exams, exam boards compare this year's results with previous years, then senior examiners review real scripts at the likely boundary marks. Easier papers get higher boundaries and harder papers lower ones. Are grade boundaries the same every year? No. They change every year to reflect how hard each paper was, so the standard needed for a grade stays comparable from year to year. Can you get a grade 6 on Foundation tier? No. Foundation tier awards grades 1 to 5. Grades 6 to 9 are only available on Higher tier. Is there a limit on how many students get each grade? No. Ofqual says there are no quotas and no cap on the number of students who can get each grade. Can you help my child move up a grade? We can help them work towards it, though we never promise a grade. [Book a Priority Demo](/priority-demo): a full live class of about 45 to 60 minutes with a mentor reserved for your child, followed by a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. ## Know the grade, then plan the next one. Bring a recent mock. In one live class we show which grade the work supports today, where the marks are going and what the next term should look like. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. [Book a Priority Demo](/priority-demo)Where the facts come from ## Sources, read in October 2026. - Ofqual, GCSE 9 to 1 grade scale explained (June 2025). - Ofqual, GCSE and A level grading: what you need to know (April 2025). - Ofqual, How GCSE and A level grading works: teachers' and headteachers' guide (April 2025). - Department for Education, GCSE factsheet for parents (May 2019). - Department for Education, 16 to 19 funding: maths and English condition of funding, 2026 to 2027. - OCR GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (J560) and Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (1MA1) specifications: tiers and the allowed grade 3. Keep exploring ## More GCSE maths help. [UK · GCSEGCSE Maths Tuition Online](/gcse-maths-tuition-online)[UK · GCSE tiersFoundation vs Higher Tier](/gcse-maths-foundation-vs-higher)[UK · exam boardsAQA vs Edexcel vs OCR](/aqa-vs-edexcel-vs-ocr-gcse-maths)[UK · resitsGCSE Maths Resit Explained](/gcse-maths-resit-explained)[UK · costsGCSE Maths Tutor Cost](/gcse-maths-tutor-cost-uk)[UK · sixth formA Level Maths Tuition](/a-level-maths-tuition-online) --- *Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/gcse-maths-grades-explained*